brustlein



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

I H. A. BRUSTLEIN. ARMOR PLATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

No. 450,713. 7 Patented Apr. 21,1891.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. BRUSTLEIN. ARMOR PLATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME. No. 450,718.-

Patented Apr. 21,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARMOR-PLATE AND METHOD 0 SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters F MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

Patent No. 450,713, dated April 21, 1891.

Application file-d October 25,1890. $erial No. 369,311. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRI AIME BRUST- LEIN, a resident of Unieux,in the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Process of Hardening and Tempering Armor- Plates, which process is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates and is applicable to the manufacture of, first, compound armor-plates whose outward or exterior face is of steel and whose rear or interior is of iron or very soft steel, the two being perfectly united by any process so as to form substantially one, and preferably the outer portion is made of crucible steel, such as chrome steel or other variety having the properties which render its employment for the purpose desirable; second, non-compound or all-steel armor-plates composed of steel of the same quality throughout their entire thickness.

The said invention consists in a treatment as follows: a, Carefully annealing the finished plate in a suitable furnace, and then if there be any necessity therefor, in redressing or giving it the proper shape by planing or other suitable tools or machinery. b. Upon its outer face the plate is then grooved or channeled in such a way as to divide the surface into a number of elements of such dimensions that each element may be able to resist without cracking the most severe hardening process. These elements may, for instance, be squares of from six centimeters to one meter each side, more or less, according to the nature of the steel. 0. The hardening or chilling process is then applied to the channeled surface, care being taken to protect the channels or bottoms of the grooves against too intense chilling or hardening, and to this end they are provided before hardening with ropes of asbestus or other like packing, or they maybe filled with refractory clay or even with soft iron after they are subjected to the reheating or annealing process. This packing prevents the sudden chilling of the parts thereby protected when the plates are hardened. This precaution is necessary not only to preserve in the plate the entire strength and solidity by localizing the tension, but also to enable the maker to bring back to its proper shape or redress the plate if during the hardening it should have become warped. (1. After the hardening the channels or grooved portions which, if it became necessary, were made true by means of emery-wheels are filled by bars and shields made of hard and tenacious steel with the exposed surface still more hard snugly filled therein. These bars and shields are preferably made convex on the outer surface, so that it would be difficult if not impossible for any projectile to hit the same normally or squarely. As the result of the hardening, the elements have a tendency to bulge more or less, which on the exposed p0rtion of iron-elads is of no importance; but on the submerged portion would retard the speed of the vessel. The same difficulty would attend the projecting convex parts of the bars and shields. To obviate this difficulty, 6, I provide each bar or shield adjacent to the convex portion with a flange beveled underneath and slightly projecting above the elements. This flange has for its object to re- .tain the coating or sheathing, which may be a cement or metallic substance, so as to present a smooth surface, creating no friction in the water.

The annexed drawings will more clearly show how the invention is carried into practice.

Figure 1 is a section of an armor-plate on line A, B, O, and D in the plan view shown in Fig. 1' partly in elevation, the plate being grooved or channeled ready for the hardening process. As the meeting of the two channels cut longitudinally and transversely to the plate would create points of extreme feebleness, it is necessary to re-enforce and protect these points by shields a of the shape of a bolt whose head is convex and almost entirely buried in the plate, as shown in Fig. 2. The surface of the bolt-head should be hardened as much as the ogival surface of a shell, so that when fired against the bolt-head it may be fractured. The bolt-head also serves the purpose of retaining the ends of the bars I) that are fitted into the grooves. The extremity of the bolt is screw-threaded and secured in the softer portion of the plate, which may be screw-threaded for that purpose after the hardening of the plate.

, plate.

Fig. 2 shows the hardening-plate ready to be attached to the sides of the vessel by means of bolts c', screwed into the rear side of the The screw-threaded holes for the reception of these bolts may also be out after the hardening of the plate.

Fig. 2 shows one of the transverse bars which are to be fitted in the grooves. It is right angular, the long branch fitting the groove in the top or exposed side of the plate and the shorter in the groove cut in the side or in the direction of the depth or thickness of the plate. terminates in a T or other anchoring device, by which the bar is prevented from being lifted out. For temporary use to prevent the bar slipping out longitudinally (while the plate is put in place) the T or heel piece or anchoring device may be provided with a screw 0.

Fig. 3 shows a part of the plate provided with a shield and bar, both being flanged for the purpose of keeping in place the sheathing or coating d. t

Fig. 4 represents an .apparatus which I use for the hardening process; Upon a shaft e, extending along the side .of the vessel in which the hardening is effected, are placed a number of elbow-supports g, Whose interior edge conforms to the channels and receptacles of the shields. These elbow-supports are capable of sliding along the shaft by means of a spline it, so that they may yield to the movement of contraction of the plate when it cools, and to this end the cross-bars i, intended to keep the packing m in the channels, are not continuous, but admit of a certain play between the several elbow-supports. Along the edge forming the interior angles the cords or packing of ,asbestus are placed and held thereon by small steel wire ties or braces. The plate heated to the required degree for the hardening process is placed vertically, (a position which is most advantageous to prevent buckling,) so that the elbow-supports engage with the grooves. movement is then imparted to the shaft euntil the plate assumes a horizontal position opposite to the perforated plate k. The reservoir f, being preliminarily filled with chilling-liquid (suppose cold Water) up to about the level indicated by a; m below the plate, the water-cocks are then opened and the water under pressure is projected at once upon all the elements of the plate.

f. Compound plates having'their backs composed of soft steel or iron are thus advantageously treated by intense chilling. To this end I prefer to give the reservoir greater depth, so that the whole plate maybe immersed; or a perforated plate or roses or sprinklers may be arranged above the plate so as to throw fine jets of water over the whole upper surface, while the lower portion is in the bath.

g. For all steel plates it is essential not to The short branch of the angle piece A rotary harden to excess the rear portion. It is therefore advisable to provide the reservoir with an overflow, such as shown at 1, in such manner that the level of the chilling-liquid should not rise beyond about one third of the thickness of the plate, and it may be found expedient to protect the rear (in the position shown, the upper) portion against too sudden cooling by covering it with a non-conductor or by some means of keeping it warm.

The above-described process may or may not be supplemented by special tempering process, according to the circumstancesand to the requirements of the resistance.

Having now fully explained the principle of my said invention and the best means which I have contemplated for carrying the same into' efiect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is k 1. In the art of hardening and tempering large plates of metal, such as armor-plates, the improvement consisting in grooving or channeling the face to be hardened and then subjecting the face of the plate, but not the bottoms of the grooves or channels, to the action .of a chilling fluid or substance, sub stantially as described.

2. In the art of hardening and tempering plates for armor, the improvement consisting in dividing the face to be hardened into elements by grooves or channels, protecting the grooved or channeled portions, as by a suitable packlng or covering, and then subjecting the surface so prepared to the action of a chilling substance, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described process for the manufacture of plate-armor, consisting in dividing the surface of the plate into elements 1o5 by grooving or channeling the same, protecting the grooved or channeled portions by a suitable packing or filling, subjecting the prepared surface to the action of a chil l ing substance, and after the removal of the packing or filling inserting into the grooves pieces of hardened steel of proper shape, as set forth.

4:. A plate for armor having an outer surface of chilled steel having grooves or chan- 1 I 5 6. A plate for-armor having an outer surface of chilled steel divided into elements by intersecting grooves 'or channels,

with bars fitting said grooves and shouldered at their ends, and shields in the form of bOth bars combined :30

headed bolts holding said bars in place by In testimony whereof I have signed this their shouldered ends, substantially as despecification in the presence of two snbscrib- 1o scribed. ing witnesses.

7. A plate for armor havin a 'rooved sur- I :1 5 face, in combination with flingd bars and HENRI AIML BRUSFLEIN' shields in the grooves, and a coating or Witnesses: sheathing held in place by the flanges of said A. POLLOK,

bars and shields, substantially as described. PHILIP MAURO. 

